• What are the biggest obstacles (if any) you are currently facing in your practice?

My biggest obstacle is feeling comfortable outside my comfort zone.

My expectation for this training is deepen my understanding of yoga so I can help others as they explore their own unique journey. I hope to find fulfillment professionally and personally. At the very least I expect this training to help me explore a fresh perspective and learn new skills, but deep inside I know this opportunity is a gift that could change my life.

Personally: Through this training I’d like to strengthen my physical, emotional, spiritual self awareness to be able to relate my own experiences and the lessons I have learned through life and in practice into the sessions that I hope to one day teach. I believe this training and teaching others is a big step towards letting my spirit be free.

Professionally: I’d like to learn to financially sustain a career helping others through yoga. I am have a background in nutrition and a passion for women’s health and behavioral health. I am currently in a job where I feel professionally and personally lost. Though I excel in my position in healthcare operations and I am often recognized by my company for my accomplishments, I find myself hesitant to invest in myself to push forward to the next level in this career. As a naturally inquisitive and ambitious person, I have spent many, many hours wondering why I feel hesitant. After much soul searching, I know my current path is not my life path. It’s just a valuable part of self realization. My hope is that teaching yoga will help me get back into a career that centers around my passion, relates strongly to preventative medicine/mental health and allows me to make a direct impact on the lives of others. The information session for the training that I attended at Chakra Power Yoga a few weeks ago left me feeling open minded as I was pleasantly surprised to hear about the community work that the studio participates in, especially addition treatment. I am so excited to experience those opportunities under your guidance.

I am most looking forward to engaging with the community in ways I never before considered. The instructor’s words at the info session describing yoga as a sacred place for those who don’t feel comfortable in their body deeply inspired me. My current company works with patients have complex mental and physical disabilities, pain and addiction–the most vulnerable of society. We provide a holistic model of care that addresses medical, social and mental health. Though I have heard many stories of success describing the positive impact our organization and clinicians have had on these patients, in my administrative role, I don’t feel like I made a direct impact and sincerely miss the patient interaction I had at previous jobs. I am most looking forward to positivity impacting other people’s lives and learning about about the new and creative forums where yoga is practiced.
Lastly I am very much looking forward to connecting with the other students and instructors through this training. I feel honored and humbled to practice with in such a beautiful space. I look forward to the teachings each person will bring to the space.

I initially began practicing yoga as a way to simply stay active, but I soon realized my practice was so much more than that. It became a place where I can release from my mental prison of anxiety and frustration that I created for myself. My high stress job often leaves my mind relentlessly reeling from the day. I had difficulty mentally stepping away from work when I was alone, visiting friends and family, often taking days to redirect my mind to the present even when on vacation. Mental coaching led to mental scolding and soon the pessimism started to flow from my lips and manifest itself in stiff muscles, more frequent mini anxiety attacks and the occasional full on sob fest. I did not recognize myself and did not like the inflexible, emotional person I was turning into. Though my job is stressful and time sensitive, independent of work I have always put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed and excel. I knew this feeling was bigger than my job. I knew had created my own mental prison and I knew I was the only one who could tear down the walls. With this understanding I kept practicing and through my yoga practice I recognized that I did not allow myself the space to play, have fun and be creative. I somewhere a long the line I had collapsed in on myself and lost focus on other important aspects of life such as my relationship with my husband, my friends and other creative outlets that I used to enjoy. Yoga empowered me to set limits where I felt uncomfortable establishing boundaries before. It provided structure and discipline where I could feel graceful, spiritual and powerfully feminine. Yoga has increased my confidence and self esteem as well as returned patience, acceptance and hope into my life.

This certification feels like big step towards a lifetime of happiness, fulfillment and spiritual enlightenment. I would love to teach yoga as a way to financially sustain myself and my family.

Firstly, I want to teach yoga because I thoroughly enjoy yoga in a way I have rarely felt before. It has become such a powerful journey. I find it is difficult not to openly share my heart and excitement about yoga. I look forward to practicing and would like to share this excitement with others. Secondly, I am attracted to the idea of being an independent instructor with some flexibility around the work hours, location and variety of forums and students. I feel I will be able to grow more substantially through a life of yoga than through a traditional 9 to 5. I’m excited about the path to explore this career and willing to make the right sacrifices to make this work. I am excited to see where this training will take me and I hope that it will provide the push I need to get back to a career I am passionate about.